Thankfully, the night apart from the Wandering Giant was uneventful. Levi even caught some sleep. But he awoke feeling an anxious tug at his heart. Today was Monday, and that meant that the Round Table would call him; if he wasn’t kicked out, that was.

From the times before, the notification that he would have to prepare himself often occurred either in the morning, or around noon.

I hope I’m not kicked out, Levi thought, nibbling his lip. He had a Legendary rank Ingredient waiting for him if he decided to team up with Isolde.

“Good morning.” Bram had already taken out some cooking supplies and the smell of freshly cooked meat wafted throughout the cave.

Levi scowled at the bats above, and trying his best to avoid the copious amounts of dung on the floor, he tiptoed his way to the cave’s entrance where Bram was.

“Good morning,” Levi said, rubbing his drowsy eyes. And then he squinted, gazing out of the cave to where he had seen the Wandering Giant. Its red eyes were branded into his thoughts. As he thought, not even a step was out of place within the forest. All was as it was the day before, with not even a single blade of grass disturbed.

The Krag truly was a realm apart, a reality so distinct it defied comprehension. Yet, considering he had been summoned from Earth into a Victorian-era world teeming with magic and monsters, the extraordinary was becoming almost commonplace.

“Sleep well?”

“About as well as I could, considering.”

“Considering the Krag?”

“No,” Levi scoffed. “The thought I’d be returning to the bats.”

“Aw, theyre not that bad,” Bram said, looking up at the little creatures. “Just think of them as little puppies with leathery wings.”

“Not helping.” Levi groaned. “But this will–” Levi leaned forwards and pinched a piece of bacon from in between his fingers. He quickly brought it to his mouth and chomped. The salted meat made his mouth water the moment it touched his tongue. “So good,” Levi said amongst chomps.

“That was my piece–”

Levi interrupted him. “So, a long hike back–” Levi was going to say something, but karma was instant.

The air swooshed and a large figure cast a dark shadow on the valley. Levi’s shoulders recoiled at the sound. He only managed to catch the end of the beast's tail, but it was unmistakable, the Dirge Hawk was still on the hunt.

Levi whispered, “Will it ever give up?”

"Not for a long time," Bram explained. "The Dirge Hawk rarely finds a mate, and it's even rarer for it to conceive a viable egg. Some say they only manage to have offspring once every fifty years. And with their corpses yielding incredible ingredients, it's a wonder they live long enough to reproduce at all."

"That's rough," Levi said, looking down at the egg nestled between his legs. Then he glanced back up at Bram. "It's a bit morbid, isn't it? Stealing its child, even though it has to fight to raise it. All for me to gain a book?"

Bram nodded. "I told you before, my village believes in not killing those that can be spared; those that do not reward us anything. That would only be senseless killing. But will receiving this book make you stronger?"

Levi pondered for a moment before nodding. "Yes, it would."

"That," Bram continued, "is what we call a transaction of the wild. The Dirge Hawk has fought to find a mate, struggled to birth an egg, and battled to protect it. But since we have the courage to steal the egg, we will grow stronger. And when we are stronger, we will hunt the Dirge Hawk's predators. It may not be directly, but in some ways, we help each other."

"Or we hunt the Dirge Hawk?" Levi said, unable to resist pointing out the discrepancy.

"That is a possibility, yes."

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"The wild is complicated."

"Based on one's beliefs, yes, it is," Bram said, acknowledging his words. "We can decide who to kill, raze the forests to the ground, devastate the world, but at the end of the day, you have to choose how you want to live your life."

Choose how you want to live your life, Levi thought, pondering on his words. How did he want to live his life? Free. That was the only answer that arrived at the forefront of his mind.

“Eat up,” Bram said, flipping over another piece of sizzling bacon. “We’ll stay here for two hours before heading out.”

Two hours? Levi thought. At first, he thought nothing of it. But he would soon come to the realisation that the given time was on purpose, and not an estimation.

Exactly two hours later, Levi and Bram left the cave. The Dirge Hawk was nowhere to be seen, but for some reason, Levi knew it was somewhere closeby. He felt it, the goosebumps on his back, the chill up his spine. It was like he was being watched by a predator.

The hike back to Ironvale was strange. It felt like Bram was timing everything to perfection. They could only rest for a certain amount of time, when Levi wanted a pee break, it had to be in a certain location. Mid stream, Bram would call him back. Levi was starting to get annoyed, but he just assumed that Bram knew there was something in the area that posed a threat. With the Dirge Hawk following, Levi wasn’t going to complain.

During the travels, Bram provided him with a cloak that covered his head and face. Bram wore the same. It was entirely black and worn, as if it had seen extensive use.

Levi questioned what it was for as no amount of chill could penetrate Levi’s fire enhanced body, but Bram refused to answer.

Because of the urgency, it took only three days to return to Ironvale. Levi was exhausted, his legs and feet aching beyond belief. If not for his Stats-enhanced body, the soles of his feet would have been a mangled mess.

The massive walls of Ironvale peeked through the trees, and Levi's patience finally wore thin. He stopped, crossing his arms. "Bram, we've been safe for almost six hours now. My feet feel like they're going to fall off. You've been timing everything down to the detail. What's going on?"

"You have to trust me, Levi," Bram replied, his kind smile unwavering.

"Trust," Levi muttered, clenching his hands. He let out a breath. "Alright."

They continued, Bram picking up the pace until they were practically sprinting. Levi, with the egg in hand, ran as fast as he could. Then he heard it—a piercing shriek that covered the skies. Bells on the walls clanged in alarm, and soldiers emerged, rotating their cannons.

The Dirge Hawk swooped down at the walls, clawing at the ancient brick. Even from where Levi stood, he heard the soldiers' screams and saw them flying through the air.

"Bram!" Levi shouted.

"Keep running, Levi!"

"I have the damned egg!"

"And now," Bram said to himself, snatching the egg from Levi's arms as a figure floated above the walls. Fire surged around the person, meeting the bird in a fiery blaze. The Dirge Hawk hesitated, scouting the land for its child.

In one swift motion, Bram hurled the egg toward the mage. It moved like a bullet, striking the mage square in the chest. Blood, guts, and embryos splattered everywhere. The Dirge Hawk screeched, a sound so loud it made Levi's ears ring. He held his ears, trying to block out the assault.

The Dirge Hawk charged at the mage, and they engaged in a brutal brawl. Levi's heart pounded as he wondered what the hell was happening. As they approached the walls, Bram grabbed Levi, heading straight for the enormous gates. Levi's eyes widened in horror, but a second later, he was inside, running through streets teeming with people.

Bram darted among the crowd with surprising agility, disappearing into the dark streets of Ironvale. "What the fuck?" Levi said, struggling free.

Bram ignored him, stopping in front of an unassuming multi-story house. The door was open, and the streets were deserted, everyone at the gates wondering what was happening outside.

"We're here," Bram said, guiding Levi toward the door.

"Why—"

"I'm sorry, Levi," Bram said, lowering his head in guilt. "Captain's orders."

Levi snapped. "If he told you to jump off a bridge, would you?"

Bram bit his lip. Levi sighed. Of course he would. Just how loyal was he to Gregory? What exactly had they gone through together?

Levi cautiously entered the building. "Hello?" he called, his voice echoing against the bare walls.

A waft of iron hit Levi's nostrils. He pressed his lips against his nostrils, trying to cancel out the smell.

"Ah, Levi," Gregory's voice sounded from an open door. "Just through here."

Levi followed the voice, entering a living room. He stopped in horror. An older gentleman sat lifeless in a tall-backed chair, eyes hazed over, his throat slit from ear to ear. His body was riddled with bloody wounds, and a knife was embedded in his heart.

Levi stepped back, unsure why he was witnessing such a scene. He looked at Gregory, who was staring at the rug on the floor.

Gregory smiled, not caring that he was showing this to someone not even 13 years old. He peeled back the carpet, revealing a familiar scene—a pentagram written in blood, just like Levi's previous parents had done.

"You're not of this world, are you, Levi?" Gregory asked. Levi's blood ran cold. "Of course, I already know the answer to that."

Levi could no longer hide it. His eyes snapped to Gregory who revealed a knowing, playful smile.